Self-propelled toy submarine



May 2, 1950 I syABlNl 2,506,281

SELF-PROPELLED TOY SUBMARINE Filed June 4, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT OR.

E'edefz'cf @55 5 BY I F. SABlNl SELF-PROPELLED TOY SUBMARINE 2 Sheets-Sheet}:

F INVENTOR red egic (1 1i zpfyg Filed June 4 1946 1: I :5 ZI F;: ::':T

:l/ .y n m E n Patented May 2, 1950 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims. (01. 46-94) This invention relates to improvements in toys and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel construction of self-propelled toy submarine.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel construction of self-propelled and selfsubmerging toy submarine adapted to propel itself for an appreciable period of time on the surface of water and then, while still propelling itself, to automatically submerge below said water surface.

The invention has for another object to provide a toy submarine, characterized as above stated, comprising a hollow body or hull within the interior of which is rotatably mounted a water Wheel, the latter being aflixed to and being adapted to drive a propeller shaft arranged to extent exteriorly from the stern end of thehull, and to the exterior end of which shaft is fixed a propeller; said hull being provided, below its normal waterline, with water admission means adapted to lead in-flowing water into actuating contact with said water wheel.

The invention has for a further object to provide within the hull of a toy submarine, characterized as above stated, a suitably located air chamber means wherein air may be trapped to provide the hull with sufilcient buoyancy to float the same when submerged; said air chamber having selectively usable air venting means, selective use of which renders said buoying air chamber operative or inoperative at will.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transverse partition within the interior of the toy submarine hull, and of less height than said interior, which is spaced forwardly'of the stern end of said hull, whereby to provide support for the water wheel and propeller shaft, and which, at the same time, is adapted to form a temporary air chamber in the stem end of the hull for temporarily buoying said hull stern during submerging movement of the hull, whereby to cause said hull to dive bow foremost when submerging.

Other objects of the invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the sectional view of the same, taken on line 3-3 2 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the same, taken on line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing the toy submarine in the act of submerging; and Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing the toy submarine in submerged position.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the novel self-propelled and self-submerging toy submarine according to this invention comprises a hollow body or hull formed by a bottom portion l0, side portions H and top or deck portion l2; said body or hull being suitable shaped to simulate the apperance of a submarine. Said body or hull may be made of any suitable material, such e. g. as sheet metal, plastic material, wood, etc. Joined to and rising from the top or deck portion l2 of the hull is a hollow body extension l3, which may be suitably shaped to simulate the conning tower of a submarine. Said hollow body extension [3 is open at its bottom so as to communicate with the interior of the hull, and its interior pro;- vides an air trapping chamber M for purposes hereinafter disclosed. Extending perpendicularly through the interior of the air trapping chamber i l and thence through the top of the body extension l3, so as to project exteriorly from the latter in upstanding relation thereto is a tubular periscope simulating member l5, which is adapted to provide an endwise open air vent passage IS,

the lower end of which terminates at the approximate open bottom level of said air trapping chamber M. Formed in connection with the top of the body section i3 is a tubular exteriorly projecting neck 11, the passage of which provides a second vent l8 leading outwardly from the top level of said air trapping chamber l4. Means is provided for closing either one of said air vent passages It or l8 when the other thereof is desired to be left open for air venting service, whereby said air vent passages are subject to op,- tional use accordingly as it may be desired to have the hull float at a submerged level after driving, or to' sink to the bottom after diving; as well be hereinafter further explained. To this end, a closure cap I9 is provided, subject to selective application to either the external open end of the periscope IE or the external open end of the neck l1. Said closure cap [9 is preferably tethered to the hull by a flexible tether, such e. g. as a length of chain 20, whereby said closure cap is safeguarded against loss, and yet freely :exert some continued but diminishin actuating thrust upon the water wheel, so that operation of the propeller member continues with forwardly propelling effect upon the hull. When air venting is arrested, inflow of water against the water wheel will cease, and forward movement of the submarine will stop as soon as the momentum thereof is overcome, whereupon the hull will lie quietly in submerged position.

If the periscope air vent passage I6 is closed by the closure cap l9, and the second air vent I8 is left open, air venting will continue until the entire interior of the hull, including the air trapping chamber I4, is filled with water. Under such circumstances, when the hull becomes full of water, the submarine will not be arrested in suspended submerged position below the water surface, but will sink to and lie upon the bottom.

In order to provide convenient means for emptying contained water from the hull interior, after operation of the toy submarine and its removal from the water, whereby to make the same ready for repetition of its operation, the hull is provided with a. suitably located normally closed water discharge means. An illustrative form of such means (as shown) comprises a discharge port 31 provided in the deck portion E2 of the hull, preferably adjacent to the stern end of the latter. Said discharge port 3'5 is closed by an inwardly opening hinged gate or cover 38, which is yieldably urged to normal closed relation to said discharge port 3! by spring means 39. Said gate or cover 38 is preferably provided with an exteriorly projecting manipulatable push-piece 40, by means of which it may be swung to open relation to said discharge port 31. It will be obvious that, when the hull is removed from the water after use, by turning the same upside down while tilting it toward the stem thereof, and thereupon thrusting open the gate or cover 38 by actuation of the push-piece 40, the discharge port 31 will be opened to outflow therethrough the water content of the hull, so that the latter may be quickly drained and emptied ready for repeated use.

While I have described the submarine toy as adapted for both self-propulsion and self-submersion, it will be obvious that if, to provide a simple and less expensive toy, it is desired to provide the same merely for self-submersion operation without self-propulsion, this may be done by omitting the water-wheel 31, in which case, the hull will gradually assume diving position and thereafter submerge due to the inflow of water through the admission port 33 into the forward interior part of the hull until the thus admitted water overflows the partition 23 and fills the rear interior 26, whereby to complete submersion in the manner already above described.

From the above it will be readily understood that the instant invention provides a novel toy submarine of very simple and yet efficient makeup adapted for self-propulsion and self-submersion in a very realistic manner. I am aware that various changes could be made in the above described toy submarine construction without departing from the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shallbe interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A self-propelling and self-submerging toy submarine comprising a hollow hull body, a rotatable water wheel mounted within said hull body, a propeller means driven by said water wheel, water admission means adapted to lead water from the exterior into the interior of said hull body and into actuating contact with said water wheel, said hull body having at its top portion means to provide a chamber open toward the interior of the hull body in which air may be trapped, whereby to float the hull body at a submerged level, and said hull body having selectively usable air vent means, one adapted to vent air only from the interior of the hull body below said air trapping chamber means, and another adapted to vent air from the interior of the hull body including said air trapping chamber means.

v2. A self-propelling and self-submerging toy submarine comprising a hollow hull body, a partition extending across the entire width of the interior of said hull body and forwardly spaced from its stern end, whereby to form a temporary air trapping chamber within the stern of said hull body, said partition terminating short of the top of said hull body, whereby to provide water spill over communication between the forward interior of said hull body and said temporary air trapping chamber, a rotatable water wheel disposed within said hull body at the forward side of said partition, said water wheel having a shaft extending through said partition and through the stern wall of said body, a propeller means fixed on the exterior end of said shaft, water admission means entering through a wall of the hull body at a point below the normal water-line of the latter when it is afloat on a water surface. said water admission means being adapted to lead water from the exterior into the interior of said hull body and into actuating contact with said water wheel whereby to automatically drive said propeller means, and said hull body having air vent means in its top portion.

3. A self-propelling and self-submerging toy submarine comprising a hollow hull body, a transverse partition within said hull body forwardly spaced from its stem end, whereby to provide a temporary air trapping chamber in the stern of said hull body, said partition terminating short of the top of said hull body, whereby to provide water spill over communication between the forward interior of said hull body and said temporary air trapping chamber, a rotatable water wheel mounted within said hull body at the forward side of said partition, a propeller means driven by said water wheel, water admission means adapted to lead water from the exterior into the interior of said hull body and into actuating contact with said water wheel, said hull body having at its top portion means to provide an upper air trapping chamber open toward the interior of the hull body in which air may be trapped, whereby to float the hull body at a submerged level, and said hull body having selectively usable air vent means, one adapted to vent air only from the interior of the hull body below said upper air trapping chamber means, and another adapted to vent air from the interior of the hull body including said upper air trapping chamber means.

4. A self-propelling and self-submerging toy submarine as defined in claim 2, wherein said hull body is provided with a water draining discharge port in its top portion, and a manually releasable cover plate to normally close said discharge port.

5. A self-submerging toy submarine comprising eiiterior'to thforward interior bf'said hull body; aiffd szii d hiill body having: airvexit means an its stibmigihg *ta submarine comprisir i v hbllowhull body; a -transverse 'partitiomwithin said hull body forwardly Spaced from its-stern efiH, w-heiebyito pid'vid'e a tem orary air trapping ch'ainoei filifhfififl'fbf said hill-1' body sai'd partition temiihatifig short of the top of 'said-hull may) whe'ieby to provide'* water spill over coin niixfiizition b'eitweeii the forwaid'interior of "said hu-fl body and said temporary air trappingichamb'i'; waiter ad'missio'ri means "adapted to lead water fi'b'l'n th eXtriO'r to the=interior of said hullbody, siiidl' hullbody 'havin'gat top portion means t6p'rbv'id aii' upper aiir trapping chamber open toWafdthe intje riol 'of the hull 'body in which air xfia'jy b 'trabpem wherebyto float said hu'l-l'body at ajsubrii'e'rgd lvel, and said hull body having sici'iii ely- "usableair vent means;- one adaptedto VTIU-aii orfly fi'ofn thfintrioi' of the hulrbody b'low sid' upper air trapping chamber' means, alrid Janbth'er adapted td vent :air from the interior sg uoiiias i 8; ofitfihull bbdy inmiidihg said-:uppen air! trapping chamber-means;

I '7 f" A self 'submerging tdy submarineas -'defined in claim 5; wherein said' hulLbodyfis-xprovided with I a water-draining discharge port in: its top portion; anda manually releasable cover "plate it) normally close said discharge portfi 8;" A self-plopelliti'g' and self-'subinerging toy submarine as defined in claim 1, wherein 'the hull body'-isprovided With an extrnal forwardly open scoopsh ped fgua'rd extending 2 over the=- intalk endbf "th watradx'ii'ission means.

9'2 A self-propelling and self subm'erging to'y submarine as defined in claim 2;: wherein the hull Y bodjfis --provicid with an- 'extrna-l forwardlyopen scoop'whhp'ed guaJFdextending overthe intake efid ofthe wat1-admission=-mea;ns;

'SABIN-Ii' REEERENCE'ShCITEDI UNIT-ED-STATESfPATENTS Number Name Date 7 1L531 Hiimphr'ey* O'b'."- 13, 1903 1,243,237 Haigh Oct: 16; 1917 1,361,551 Yancey Dczfl', 1920 2,405,715 Sabini Ailg? 1321946 FOREIGN PATENTS I Number Cou'fitiiy Date 401952 Fiance: Mar; 15; 1910 

